What are the responsibilities and job description for the English - Assistant Professor - Fiction or Poetry position at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)?
Mission or Goal of Unit: The mission of the College of Humanities and Sciences is to serve as the intellectual heart and soul of our institution and wider community. The College of Humanities and Sciences:
As the intellectual lifeblood of VCU and our community, the College of Humanities and Sciences seeks to inspire our students to explore their passions and dreams as individuals and provide the context to understand their place in the world and connections with others—locally, globally and throughout time. Most importantly, our educational and research environment addresses an array of technological, health-related and societal problems, as well as providing profound insights and reflections of what it means to be human and humane.. Chief Purpose of this position: The
English Department at Virginia Commonwealth University seeks to hire an
Assistant Professor in either Fiction or Poetry. Position Responsibilities: The successful candidate would join the faculty in
August 2025. This is a tenure-eligible position, which
carries an annual 2/2 teaching load. Teaching responsibilities
include graduate and undergraduate creative writing workshops, thesis
supervision within our nationally recognized, three-year M.F.A. program, as
well as graduate and undergraduate courses on craft and literature. Required Qualifications: Candidates
for this position should hold either an M.F.A. or a Ph.D. and have a strong
record of publication, including at least one published novel or poetry collection
from a respected press as well as evidence of promise of future recognition in
the field. Preferred Qualifications: N/A Our residential M.F.A.
Program in Creative Writing is currently celebrating its 40th Anniversary. Although we have very recently lost two of our most beloved
colleagues to well-earned retirements, we have, in the past five years, also hired
new faculty in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Our recent alumni and
current students have achieved impressive publishing success and recognition. We are small highly
congenial program, offering tuition remission and funding to a cohort of about
30 graduate teaching assistants. These students have the opportunity to assist
with large classes, to work together on our well-respected online literary
journal Blackbird, to oversee two national literary prizes, and also to
teach their own independent sections of both creative writing and composition.
In addition to concentrations in Poetry and Fiction, we also offer a very popular
Dual-Genre concentration, which most frequently includes coursework and a
thesis in nonfiction. The English Department also enables undergraduates from
across all academic areas to complete an undergraduate minor in Creative
Writing. Applicants should submit:
letter of application, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, including
experience working with diverse student populations, and a writing sample. Review
of applications will begin January 15, 2025 and will continue until position is
filled. Virginia
Commonwealth University is located in the center of Richmond, a city with a
vibrant arts community. The English Department serves a large, diverse student
population, including many first-generation students. As such, we value demonstrated experience
working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or a
commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU. We also welcome applicants who
might seek to foster experiential learning opportunities through lived
experiences and/or professional service that inform worldviews and/or
perspectives about minority group status, including race, age, ethnicity,
gender, sexuality, religion, and disability.
Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Tenure Track
Rank: Open
Months: 9
Department:
Department of English
Salary:
Contact Information:
Contact Name: Dr. Kathleen Graber
Contact Email: kjgraber@vcu.edu
Contact Phone: 828-1331
